We need to quash the perception that Legacy Administration is little more than ‘banking and thanking’ by raising the profile of Legacy Officers and educating colleagues on what they do. That’s according to Duane Saunders, Legacy Administration Manager at Marie Curie and speaker at the Excellence in Legacy Administration conference 2018, who explains the key challenges teams like his face…

In my view the biggest challenge that Legacy Administration teams still face is that the nature of our work is not just about banking and thanking. Fortunately, I work for a charity that understands this.  However, whilst this misconception has perhaps diminished in recent years I believe that it still lingers in many charities. The only way to quash this is through educating colleagues on what the team do and raising the profile of Legacy Administration teams.

Securing internal buy-in

In the last few months I have delivered presentations to new starters about Marie Curie’s Legacy Administration team and our activities, so that they can appreciate the importance of legacy income. I also presented at a legacy masterclass delivered to an internal audience about aspects of legacy administration, which helped to provide greater insight into the team.  I highlighted the importance of total charity buy-in, as an individual’s legacy journey rarely begins from a legacy mailing, but more likely another touch point, whether it be directly/indirectly from the services the charity offers or another form of fundraising.  

Striking the right balance

Legacy Administration teams sit in a unique position whereby we communicate directly to personal executors, representing the charity and its reputation. Legacy Administration teams are the first point of contact, so considering how we communicate with personal executors is paramount.

At a potentially highly emotive time for a personal executor Legacy Administration teams are faced with determining when is the right time to write, getting the tone of the letter right and ensuring that the charity receives the information and documents it requires in a sensitive manner. There is a continual strive to get this balance right, or be subject to complaint.

The letters must be professional and sensitive – get it wrong and it could impact upon the charity’s reputation, but get it right and it’s possible to build a rapport with the executor. This can then enable requesting information, such as copy of the Will, valuations and the estate accounts easier.

A balance is also important to find when corresponding to solicitors. A report released in 2017 by Pennington Manches suggested that solicitors do not appreciate being told their job, often the tone of the correspondence, or frequency of communications, yet on occasion it is necessary to signpost certain aspects of legacy administration where charities may differ from an individual, or mechanisms that enable charities to be exempt from tax. The key, as always, is to remain professional and review the tone of each letter on a regular basis.

Futureproofing their team

Legacies are the fastest growing source of income to charity – from £2.8billion to in excess of £3.8billion over the next 10 years. With that knowledge, it can be easy for those that set budgets to pile more pressure on to Legacy Administration teams to deliver more income, yet are these teams futureproof? In the past charities have invested heavily into legacy marketing activity, and rightly so, but now with the knowledge that notifications are most likely to rise significantly in the near future, will Legacy Administration teams be able to continue to deliver when managing even more cases? 

Legacy income is volatile – it is rare to experience a consistent level of income every month. It is affected by property values and confidence in the markets and UK economy which is represented in the stock market. Recent reports suggest that the property market is showing signs of shrinking, whilst the FTSE seems resilient (at the time of drafting this), but the outcome of Brexit remains unclear. Whatever the outcome it will have an impact on the value of legacies.

Time is a luxury that few Legacy Administration teams have. Our work is a conveyer belt of new post, responding to post, and yes, acknowledging payments too. In a small team it is easy to fall into a trap of becoming only responsive to post – not having the time to consider matters fully. The danger is that things can be missed, thus relying upon other charitable co-beneficiaries to raise queries.  This can also reduce “added value”, which is a worthy KPI to assess the health of your team.

All these are just but a few challenges Legacy Administration teams face regularly and that’s before we even consider contentious matters….

Duane Saunders is Legacy Administration Manager at Marie Curie and speaker at the Excellence in Legacy Administration conference 2018. Duane will be speaking on how to get internal buy-in, support and recognition for legacy administration. To find out more and to book your place, click here.